Golden Gate Photo - Arches National Park Gallery

Golden Gate Photo - Arches National Park Gallery
Fine Art Photography from Arches National Park, Utah.

The famous sandstone arches of this park are the result of a series of events, some pre-dating the sandstone itself. During the Pennsylvanian Period, about 300 million years ago, salt beds of the Paradox Formation, up to thousands of feet thick, were deposited on the Colorado Plateau. The salt was covered by wind- and flood-deposits of sand from the Navajo and Entrada Sandstone during the Jurassic period, between 180 and 140 million years ago. The pressure of the overburden on the salt caused it bend and flow, warping and fracturing the thousands of feet of now consolidated sandstone above it. Subsequently, the forces of erosion, including rain, wind, and ice, carved the sandstone, expanding the fractures into fins and spires. Many of the fins eventually were undercut as slabs peeling off the sides left arch-shaped tops. Once established, the arches become relatively stable, as any structural engineer can tell you.

	Delicate Arch Perhaps the most recognized landmark in Utah, the Entrada Sandstone, which forms Delicate Arch, glows brilliantly at sunset. This is at the end of a 1.5-mile (2.4-Km) trial and a popular sunset location. Print No. A97SW-27-12 More Images of Sunsets
	The Organ - Courthouse Towers Viewpoint Located at the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint at the southern end of the rark, The Organ is a good example of a fin. Not all fins have developed into arches. Print No. A97SW-23-3
	The South Window The South Window is located in The Windows section of the park. Along with the North Window, it is sometimes referred to as The Spectacles. Print No. A97SW-24-5
	Organ and Lizard Another view of The Organ from the Park Avenue Trail. This one showing a common denizen of this area in the foreground. Print No. A97SW-26-4

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